The Reason We Fight
by kazeko-chan
Summary: Just a short piece on what Haruka and Michiru were thinking after episode 111 in SMS Finished .


**Our Past part 1: The Reason We Fight**

**Title:** Our Past part 1: The Reason We Fight  
**Author:** kazeko  
**Show: **Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon  
**Rating: **PG  
**Timeline:** "The Last Sacrifice: The End of the Silver Millennium", "CAS 1: The Trouble with Love is the Lovers", "CAS 2: To Defy Destiny", "Every Cloud", "Crystal Shards", "CAS 3: Unwilling Accomplice", "Our Past 1: The Reason We Fight", "CAS 4: Princess of Light", "Our Past 2: The Reason We Still Fight", "Our Past 3: The Reason We Fought", "CAS 5: One Last Shining Star", "Destiny or Duty", "Desperately Searching", "Kazeko", "Chronicles of the Star Senshi"  
**Series:** "Our Past"  
**Multipart:** no  
**Time: **Kind of between chapters 3 and 4 of CAS 3.  
**Couple:** Haruka/Michiru  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Duh.  
**Author's Note:** This is the first fanfic I ever wrote and it really doesn't sync so well with the rest of my huge saga, but the other two parts of "Our Past" do. Enjoy.

* * *

She couldn't believe it, but the proof was right there in front of her. Michiru was alive and fine, and so was she. Their heart crystals were back in their bodies, and with the true talismans, there was no need for any one to be sacrificed. Ten'ou Haruka looked at Kaiou Michiru, smiling but resisting the sudden powerful urge to enfold Neptune in her arms. They watched the other Soldiers leave, thinking different things, mostly that they had a long mission ahead of them. Sailor Moon had the Grail, yes, but the Messiah was yet to be found. Uranus stifled the urge in her heart to trust Sailor Moon and let her save the world on her own, with or without the Messiah.

Uranus turned to leave, to return home, desperate not to reveal her feelings, and she saw Neptune sway. Reaching out, Uranus caught her partner, concern in her dark green eyes. "Are you okay?" She cursed the emotion in her voice, knowing that emotion was far too dangerous to interfere with their mission.

"Fine; I guess I'm just a little bit tired. It _has_ been a long day." Neptune would have pulled away, ashamed of her weakness, but Uranus didn't seem willing to let go.

Uranus smiled. "Perhaps you shouldn't have gone off in your own little world and left me alone." Neptune blushed at the reference to their earlier conversation, finding an answer in her heart—an answer and a promise.

"Never again, Haruka."

Sailor Uranus helped Neptune back to their helicopter, stopping at the sound of soft footsteps behind them. "Pluto."

"My name is Meiou Setsuna here."

Uranus helped Neptune settle in before turning to face the Soldier of Time. "Thank you, Setsuna-san."

She shrugged her shoulders, glancing at the Garnet Orb on the top of her staff and the Space Sword on Haruka's hip. "The Sailor Soldiers are all needed now, Uranus. Haruka-san. Now we have to find the Messiah, but tonight we can rest. I will see you again."

"Setsuna-san!"

The mysterious Pluto looked over her shoulder at Neptune, one dark eyebrow raised. "Thank you," Michiru whispered, glancing significantly at Haruka. She had the strangest feeling that Pluto had done something wonderful for her and Haruka near the end of the Silver Millennium, but she couldn't remember. Somehow, though, she knew that Meiou Setsuna did. Pluto nodded and vanished into the thick white mist shrouding the island, returning as she arrived, as Uranus took the helicopter home. Neptune sat in the back seat, resting, trying to put a sentence together in her head, unable to look at Uranus and think. So much had happened in so little time, and her mind flashed back to the image of Eugial holding a gun to Haruka's breast. Neptune clenched her fists, tears gathering in her eyes. _"No matter what happens, we have to get the talisman. We have to ignore each other's dangers and go for it alone."_ Those had been her words to Uranus, and she had been the one to ignore them. Their mission depended on their devotion to the cause, not each other. She had sacrificed herself for Haruka, and it would have been pointless if her heart crystal had not contained a talisman.

"It wasn't pointless, Michiru."

Haruka's words startled Neptune, and she leaned forward to see her partner's face. Uranus kept her eyes locked on the sky and their destination, not trusting her emotional shield to remain intact if she looked at Michiru. "I didn't say that."

"I know what you were thinking. It wasn't pointless. Sacrifice is always necessary in war, especially ours. I've known that for a long time. As long as we can be together, I don't mind."

When they finally reached the apartment they shared, the senshi once again became Ten'ou Haruka and Kaiou Michiru, a little worse for the wear. They managed to make it into their apartment before Michiru stumbled and Haruka caught her again. Haruka held Michiru as tears filled the slighter woman's aquamarine eyes and began to streak her smooth cheeks. "I almost lost you today," she whispered softly, barely able to speak at all for the tears. "When I saw you again, I just wanted to jump into your arms."

"I know," Haruka purred, her voice the soft murmur of a cat's. "I didn't realize what was going on for a moment. I owe Pluto—Meiou Setsuna—so much."

"We have a long fight ahead of us, Haruka."

"As long as we're together I can endure anything." Haruka wiped the tears off her partner's cheek and kissed her gently. Michiru smiled, reaching up to take Haruka's hand, remembering their earlier conversation, knowing that Haruka saw Michiru's blood on her hands. As she had before, Michiru smiled at her partner and reassured the taller woman.

"Don't worry, Haruka; I like your hands." She paused, smiling. "I love you, Ruka."

* * *

The End


End file.
